Patent GB-520683-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in record-card-controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1938-09-26
Abstract: 520,683. Statistical machines. DEHN, F. B. (Remington Rand, Inc.) Sept. 26, 1938, No. 28021. [A Specification was laid open to inspection under Sect. 91 of the Acts, March 27, 1939]. [Class 106 (i)] A tabulator, operable on serially-numbered sequentially-arranged record cards, has in combination a counter, normally ineffective means for taking a total from the counter, means for comparing the serial number of each card with that of its predecessor, and means operated by said comparing means, when the sequence of the serial numbers is broken, to render the said total-taking means effective. Printing mechanism is also co-operative with the comparing means so that at the end of each unbroken sequence there are printed the first and last only of the serial numbers of that sequence and the number of cards in the sequence, as shown in the first, second, or third line of Fig. 38. At each break in the sequence also the said first and last numbers and number of cards are added to three separate sections of a grand total accumulator. These grand totals may subsequently be printed, fourth line, Fig. 38, by the use of a special control card. The data cards are code cards in which each of the 45 columns of a standard card is divided into halves, each half being used for a five-point code. The invention is illustrated in a known Powers tabulator in' which the readings of the sensing pins are transmitted through an intermediate connection box 25, Fig. 5, and translator 36 to the stop basket 46, 47, Fig. 3, used for setting the adding and type sectors 48, 51. Translator.-The translator wires 37, Fig. 5, are flexible Bowden wires, necessitating pins 50 Fig. 3 interposed between these wires and the stops 47. In the present instance each second card has a serial number of six (or less) digits and a special control hole. and in each column there are five wires 37 for the five stops 47 and a sixth member 164, 41, 38A, Fig. 6, associated with the said special control hole. This translator is removable as a unit so that by substituting a different translator the number comparing means of the present invention is disabled and the machine used for normal adding and listing work. In accordance with the invention the connector 38 of each wire, 37 has a wire 37A associated with a stop in the " First number" counter A, a wire 37B connected to the " Last number counter B and a wire 37C leading to a pin box 162 coacting with the number comparing unit. The single connection 38A has a wire 41 leading to the " Card total" counter C and a wire 164 to the pin box 162 (see also Fig. 10). For convenience the counters A, B and C are separate portions of one large unit and coact with a single twenty-five place printing and counter unit. Stop basket.-The counters A, B and C are associated with a twenty - five column stop basket 46, Fig. 3, each column comprising five stops 47 and a normally ineffective nought stop 49 controlled by a common nought shutter 132 and by bell-cranks 52 in turn controlled by a bail 55 operated from a cam on the drive shaft 3. Shortly after this shaft 3 starts to rotate, bail 55 allows stops 49 to rise but if in any column a stop 47 has been raised by a significant hole being read the slide 58 for that column is cammed to the right to hold the corresponding zero stop down. During total-taking the bail 55 is held to keep all the zero stops down. Adding and printing mechanism, Fig. 3.-The type sectors 51 are controlled by bail 63, which is cam-actuated from shaft 3, and are associated with the sectors 48 of the front counter 78 and connected by links 519 to racks 521 for the rear counter 525. During the second half of each adding and listing cycle the front and rear counter wheels engage their racks to receive the item (the serial number) just printed. During total-taking the regular group total is taken from the front counter and the grand total of all the groups from the rear counter, but the two counters do not mesh with their racks at the same time. To list the first and last numbers of the serial groups the front counter has twentyfive wheels operatively divided into three parts and the rear counter is also one large unit split into three sections each associated with a respective part of the front counter. At the rear the "First number and " Card total " sections function as normal counters but the central. " Last number," section is a register in which each successive serial number is entered during one cycle and cancelled in the next until a break in the serial number is detected. The front counter is normally disengaged and during a total cycle the totals are transferred from the rear counters to the front. Each successive serial number is set up simultaneously in the front "First number and " Last number " sections and the first number is set up in the appropriate rear unit, the six sectors which are then blocked from accepting another number until a totaltaking cycle occurs. The translator wire 41, Fig. 6, associated with the special control hole in the card actuates the " one " digit stop in the " Card total" counter so that the latter functions as a units counter. A special control card may be used in known manner to clear the front, grand total, counter. Front counter, Fig. 3. The counter wheels 78 are loose on a shaft 79 carried in the curved slot of an arm 83 which is rocked about its pivot 84 to engage and disengage the wheels with their sectors 48, by means of a link 85 having notches 85A and 85B which coact with pins 86A and 86B on a lever 86 on shaft 87. The latter is rocked once each machine cycle to reciprocate the link 85 and arm 83 by parts 88, 89, 91 from a shaft 92 rocked by a cam on shaft 3. The wheels 78 are normally disengaged and with the arm 85 held in intermediate position by an arm on the total shaft 99. At each total-taking, shaft 99 rocks and causes slot 85A and pin 86A to coact and, as arm 85 is reciprocated from shaft 92, times the engagement and disengagement of wheels 78 to receive the total from the three rear counters 525. The totals are simultaneously printed by the type sectors 51. At grand-total taking the shaft 502 is rocked to engage slot 85B and pin 86B and to reverse the timing of engagement of wheels 78 so that the grand totals standing on them are printed by sectors 51. During all total and grand-total taking the zero stops 49 are depressed to permit free forward movement of the sectors 48 and 51. Rear counter, Fig. 3. This is a large unit of twenty-five wheels 525 split into three separate counters for "First number," "Last number " and " Card total," each wheel coacting with a rack 521 connected by a link'519 to the corresponding type sector 51. In the central, " Last number," unit, however, the six wheels 525 have been removed and the six racks 521 are longer than the remaining racks and coact with sectors 575 as described below. The shaft 525A, carrying the wheels 525, is supported by a pair of arms 526 controlled from a shaft 529 so that the wheels, which are normally in mesh with their racks, are disengaged as the racks 521 move forward (to the left, Fig. 3) in an accumulating cycle and are engaged during the return stroke whereby the settings given by sectors 51 and links 519 to racks 521 are transmitted to the wheels 525. When taking a total from wheels 525 the latter are in mesh with their racks as the latter move to the left and disengaged for the return stroke through the control of the rear total shaft 514 which is rocked only during totaltaking cycles. During a grand-total taking cycle the wheels are disengaged for the whole cycle. In order that the rear " First number counter should receive only the first number of a complete serial group the nought block 132 is raised to keep up all six zero stops 49 in all cycles except a total - taking cycle and the cycle immediately following. Block 132 is operated from a shaft 136 which is rocked by a cam on the shaft 3 every cycle. At its first actuation following a total stroke, however, the shaft 136 is latched by a member 148, Fig. 9 (not shown), in a position to hold the block 132 and nought stops 49 elevated and remains so latched as long as the cards are in sequential serial order. In the central "Last number " portion of the rear accumulator each successive serial number of the cards is entered during the second half of one cycle and cancelled during the first half of the succeeding cycle until total - taking is initiated by a break in the serial numbers whereupon cancellation of the last number is prevented. The sectors 575 are carried by arms 576 controlled by a cam 588 (not shown) on the shaft 3 so that during normal accumulating cycles they are raised from their initial, engaged, position shown before their racks 521 move to the left to take their setting with the sectors 51 and are lowered for re-engagement during the return stroke of the racks. The sectors 575 thus have the serial number set up on them and before the racks 521 move left again in the next cycle the sectors 575 are again raised from their initial position. Their springs 577 thereupon pull them clockwise against stop screws 579 to cancel the setting. When a total-taking cycle occurs the sectors 575 are held in engagement with their racks 521, as the latter move to the left, by a cam 602, Fig. 37 (not shown), which prevents the linkage to arms 576 being operated by the cam 588 (not shown) so that the last setting of sectors 575 is transferred to sectors 51 for printing. The cam 602 (not shown) maintains this engagement until the first part of the cycle following the total stroke, whereupon the "Last number" is cancelled from the sectors 575. During grand-total taking from the front counter wheels 78 the control of sectors 575 by the cam 602 (not shown) is modified, under control of the grand-total-shaft 502, so that the sectors 575 are disengaged from their racks during the forward stroke of the grand-total c